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Sun-Herald, June 29
Ian Rogers
When Kirsan Iljumzhinov won the Kalmyk election in October last year despite
Kremlin opposition, it seemed as if the World Chess Federation (FIDE)
President would succeed in his professed ambition to remain life President
of the Russian republic of Kalmykia.

However recent developments indicate that Iljumzhinov's ten year tenure as
Kalmyk President may be coming to an end as an anti-corruption campaign by
the Russian Interior Minister Boris Gryzlov gathers pace.

Iljumzhinov has been receiving criticism from the Kremlin on many fronts;
from the source of funding for `Chess City' in the Kalmyk capital Elista, to
registering 17,000 refugees from neighbouring Chechnya in exchange for the
refugees' commitment to vote for him at the Presidential election.

Despite pouring millions of dollars of Kalmyk money into world chess since
becoming FIDE President in 1994, Iljumzhinov has enjoyed only lukewarm
support from chess professionals. When the chief arbiter at the 2002 Bled
Olympiad, Geurt Gijssen proudly announced that Iljumzhinov had been
reelected in Kalmykia, the applause was only marginally more than the sound
of one hand clapping.

The latest blow to Iljumzhinov came with the sacking of his Interior
Minister Timofei Sasykov. Gryzlov had attempted to remove Sasykov last
October and had even sent a replacement to Elista in April but it took a
direct order from Russian President Vladimir Putin last month before
Iljumzhinov could be persuaded to part with his trusted lieutenant - the man
who, in vetting all election advertisements, passed his rivals' ads on to
Iljumzhinov so that the President could decide personally which ads were
suitable to be aired on the local television station.

Sasykov was subsequently arrested and charged with corruption, with the
Russian media claiming that after Sasykov's removal "edging Iljumzhinov from
the game would just be a technical matter".

With allegations of involvement in illegal caviar trading, illegal oil
refining, misuse of a 10 billion rouble government grant and even political
murder, the Kremlin would be only too pleased to make an example of
Iljumzhinov, especially since the Kalmyk President has frequently snubbed
the Putin administration, preferring to remain associated with the old Boris
Yeltsin `Family'.

Iljumzhinov's troubles may explain why the FIDE World Championship match
between Garry Kasparov and Ruslan Ponomariov has apparently fallen off the
radar. A September start in the Ukraine is mooted, yet the FIDE web site
claims the match began last week in Buenos Aires. With both title contenders
still in Europe, it is to be hoped that FIDE has not paid too much for the
Argentinian playing hall.

Sun-Herald, June 29
Ian Rogers
When Kirsan Iljumzhinov won the Kalmyk election in October last year despite
Kremlin opposition, it seemed as if the World Chess Federation (FIDE)
President would succeed in his professed ambition to remain life President
of the Russian republic of Kalmykia.

However recent developments indicate that Iljumzhinov's ten year tenure as
Kalmyk President may be coming to an end as an anti-corruption campaign by
the Russian Interior Minister Boris Gryzlov gathers pace. [snip]

Thanks, GB. This is indeed a hopeful sign! Ilyumzhinov
will go eventually, and maybe sooner than we all thought.
I wonder who will succeed him, and what kind of shape will
FIDE's finances be in after he's gone?

Thanks, GB. This is indeed a hopeful sign! Ilyumzhinov
will go eventually, and maybe sooner than we all thought.
I wonder who will succeed him, and what kind of shape will
FIDE's finances be in after he's gone?

Larry Parr and/or Timothy Hanke should run for FIDE president
and see if they can outdo Kirsan.